


You're a Haint

by MissRaichyl



Series: How I Met You [1]
Category: Defiance (TV)
Genre: Alien/Human Relationships, Aliens, Dystopia, F/M, First Love, First Meetings, Fluff, Humor, Insults, Love, Love/Hate, Meeting, Rebelling, Rivalry, Romance, Stubborn, Teasing, Teenagers, Town Meeting, cuteness, speech
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-23 22:12:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7481862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissRaichyl/pseuds/MissRaichyl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You aren't a guy," I say, biting my words and I swear I can hear his eyebrows rise, "you're a haint." I use Luke's word and turn, facing the son of my father’s enemy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're a Haint

Everyone is crowded in the town square as the old mayor gives Datak Tarr some award for helping with the city as my Dad and my brother stand by and watch. Dad was ranting about this the whole morning as we all got ready. Today was a big day, for the Castithan big-shots, anyway. I already wished it was over so we could all move on from it and I could go back to work.

It was hot outside and I wanted to be moving around, not standing in a crowd, looking up at the stage. Quentin was not in sight- he’ll get an earful from Dad later, probably still at the Mines. Luckily, Dad had already seen me when I arrived so I was in the column of Good Child along with Luke, who was taking a break from his gang activities to represent with Dad.

I refocus to the stage where the Old Lady Mayor stands with Datak Tarr and his wife, giving a speech about town values or so. I wonder absently where their son is. Usually he had to come as well, if not be on stage to make a show of support, just like I must when Dad is accepting some award. Not like it really matters anyway.

As far as my family is concerned, he's a freak- alien, the whole lot of them. Not to be trusted and never talk to them- well, according to Dad and Luke anyway. I have never been in one’s company long enough to be a real judge and they’re here whether we like it or not, so what’s really the point in hating each other.

I roll my neck and shake my hands, trying to get blood moving again, to relax in the crowd. I wasn’t anywhere near the stage or even in the heart of the crowd. I was along the outskirts of it, but I didn’t want to slip away from it either. Dad said it was important to stay through, even if I did have work waiting. I let my head roll to the side, hopefully this would be over soon. "Don't tell me you are bored already." A chuckle sounded behind me. Male with an alien accent, a voice I know too well. I don’t turn around even though my body tenses up and I stand straighter then I was a few moments ago.

"My dad says I shouldn't talk to you." I tell him.

He snorts and I have to will my body to not turn and glare at him. "Do you always do what Daddy says?" He whispers back in response, teasing me. I can feel him closer to me, his breath hot on my neck. It’s spicy, like cinnamon.

"I do what I'm told, unlike some." I retort and step forward, away from him. I feel him move with me, though. I look around and no one is batting an eye at us, all attention paid forward on the stage as Datak speaks into the mic.

"Ow." He mocks me, "you sure do know how to hurt a guy." He laughs and I feel my lips tug upward. His flirting didn’t work in class and it’s not going to work here. Though, while I am tempted to keep this going, Luke is bound to notice and then I’ll be in trouble, like a bomb went off at home, probably grounded as well. Better to end this exchange before anyone notices.

"You aren't a guy," I say, biting my words and I swear I can hear his eyebrows rise, "you're a haint." I use Luke's word and turn, facing the son of my father’s enemy, before walking off in the direction of my part-time job.

I hear his feet trail after me, following me down the trail. His job is above mine, literally, but I don’t think he’s going to work just yet.

"Try and say that to my face, McCawley." His voice is bitter, there’s a roughness to his tone. I cringe a bit before resetting my face and taking a breath, deep and then I spin on my heel. It’s a bit rough and one of his hands lays on my shoulder, steading me so I don’t go down, and the other on my waist. I’m thankful we’re away from the crowd though. If Luke saw this he’d probably find a gun and aim it.

My hands steady myself by resting on his arms as I take my time as I raise my eyes to fully meet his. He makes no move to remove his hands.

"Not such a _haint_ now, am I, McCawley?" He asks me, his voice deeper than I remember it. It has been awhile though. He’s different than I remember or maybe it’s the proximity… I raise my hand, my brow furrowed in curiousness, to touch him. I wonder if his skin is as soft as it looks but then there is a commotion as the meeting comes to and end and I snap out of whatever spell he cast, moving away from his arms and adjusting my shirt for something to do. It was awkward for me, who lived in a house that was all _Aliens bad, humans good_ , to have even felt my heart skip a beat just now.

“Sorry,” I mumble, gesturing to the tripping, before skirting around him, heading to work. I look back at Alak, who was staring at me in amusement. I was positive a blush has spread over my cheeks but my family’s’ words echo in my head and I quickly look straight back ahead.

“Christie!” My feet stumble to a halt, when before I would’ve kept going but… I want to talk to him… even if my family is their number one enemy.

I slowly turn around to face him as he comes over to me, his eyes curious and inviting and I really want to know more. "I'm Alak Tarr." He says and I cock my head to the side, curious. Did he think I didn’t know that? "My dad really hates your dad.” He tells me with a laugh.

“I know, we were in primary together.” He nods, seeming happy that I remember that time. Primary is basically pre-k through sixth grade from what were told and then we go to school for our species, like humans go into the school by the river and the Castithan’s have a building in the middle of their society for schooling and so on, to teach us about our own people and ways and probably because that’s when puberty hits. “What do you want, Tarr? Piss off your dad by hitting on the enemy?”

“That’s not what I’m doing.” I side-eye him. Yeah, right, not going to fall for that. “Honestly, I just thought you might think like I do. I’ve seen you up on that stage by your dad and you always look bored and when your brother is harassing my people, you always step in or at the very least look disgusted.” He rushes in explanation and it’s a little fun to see him flustered. I try my best to look disinterested, but honestly, I think I am interested. He comes closer to me, looking more at the ground than at my eyes, but he looks up just in time. "Just because they hate each other, it doesn't mean we have to does it?" I know what he's doing; he's being all coy and charming but he could just as well be a snake in the grass. On the other hand, my heart is actually skipping beats now.

“I have work.” I say, the words falling out of my mouth before I can stop them and he looks like I punched him.

“I see,” He says, puckering his lips and his eyes dropping, his sudden change in airs twisting me around. I wasn’t used to really talking with guys, especially flirting with them and it took me a moment to realize that that might have sounded like a rejection. The tables turned.

“No,” I rush out, going for his hand, bringing his attention back to me, “like I really have work- like I’m late.” I say, letting him go as I go on ahead, “and I don’t hate you.” His smile comes back with that as I turn and run for the shop, unable to stop smiling at all. Dad will disown me, Luke would kill me but I can’t help it. I want to talk to him, hear his voice again.

I actually might like him.

.

All through my shift I couldn’t stop smiling. I received more tips than I ever have before and I felt like I was on cloud nine. Is this what a crush feels like? I’ve never really liked anyone before, though I have been asked out, even been on a few dates, with Dad’s approval of course.

But Alak, today, my heart literally jumps at the thought of him. In Primary, we didn’t really talk much to each other, you stuck with your own, but we were kids, we play some and there wasn’t much talking anyway, because class and lecturing. But seeing him, him reaching out like that, meant he had been thinking about me for a while and that made me happy for some reason. But it was Alak Tarr, there were bound to be complications if I dared to entertain this idea at all.

I sigh as I hang up my apron for the day, grabbing my bag. “I’m off!” I call to my boss who waves me away, letting me go free for the night. I look at my watch, it was just now 7:30, I could probably go to the hangout still, if I wanted too. Might as well get my mind off of him.

I exit the shop and start on the path towards town.

“Just going to ignore me now?” I hear behind me and turn, fast. The sun was still up and it wasn’t like it was dangerous to walk alone, but there was still danger. But my heart changed speeds for a different reason when I saw Alak against the cart.

“I didn’t even see you,” I explain as he walks up to me.

“Where are you headed?” He asks me, a slight smile on his lips. We were playing a dangerous game and I slightly wondered if that is why my heart was going crazy and if that was why I was even attracted to him, but looking at him now, I know it wasn’t that. His smile, his hair, the way it looked soft and the blue that ran through it, to set him apart, the sound of his voice, the deepness to it that was comforting and addictive, the pure blueness of his eyes that seemed like waves in the water that I had only seen in history books from the past. He made me curious.

“The Hall,” I tell him, a local hangout where you can dance and drink and play, whatever suits your needs. It was popular amongst the younger crowd. The older people just preferred the bar.

“How about the station?” He nods behind us and I look up, at the arch, standing tall, glinting in the remaining sunlight. “I have to do the evening broadcast,” he trails off as my eyes flicker back to his and he holds out his hand, but I look back at the arch, “It’s totally safe,” he says and I crack a smile, letting my hand fall into his.


End file.
